Minnesota, 2005

Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Minnesota, August 25 to 26, 2005

August 25 to 26, 2005 · NWS FGF · 29 events in 6 counties and zones

16 hail, 6 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
29

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 25, 9:59 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 25, 9:59 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1059 AM CDT THU AUG 25 2005

.UPDATE...
FCST CHALLENGE IS PCPN TIMING AND SVR POTENTIAL FOR WCNTRL MN.
UPPER LOW JUST NORTH OF REGINA SASK...MOVING SLOWLY EAST.
WEDGE OF MUCH DRIER SFC-850 MB AIR FROM ECNTRL MN INTO NW AND
NCNTRL ND INTO SRN MANITOBA...WITH DEW PTS IN THE 40S OVER OUR FAR
NW FCST AREA (DVL-LANGDON-CAND0. SFC FRONT HAS BASICALLY BECOME
NEARLY PARALLEL TO MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW AND WAS LOCATED NR A
HCO-GFK-VCY LINE. FRONT WILL ONLY SLOWLY MOVE EAST TODAY INTO THIS
EVENING AS UPPER LOW MOVES EAST. SCT TSRA RIGHT ALONG FRONT
INCREASING IN THE VALLEY CITY-ABERDEEN COORIDOR AND THIS WILL
RIDE NORTHEAST TODAY. COOL TEMPS AT THE SFC AND STILL WARM TEMPS
AT 700-500 MB WILL LEAD TO LIMITED INSTABILITY SO NO SVR WX
EXPECTED WITH THIS BAND.

QUESTION IS OVER WCNTRL MN WHERE 12Z SPC OUTLOOK HAS WCNTRL MN IN
SLIGHT RISK FOR THIS AFTN/EVE. LOW CLOUDS HANGING TOUGH OVER THAT
AREA...WITH CLEARING TAKING PLACE OVER ERN MN AND SOUTH AND EAST
OF ST CLOUD. PER 12Z ETA40 SOUNDING AT FERGUS FALLS TEMPS WOULD
NEED TO REACH 81F BY LATE AFTN FOR LIFTED INDICES TO DROP TO
-6...BUT ATTM THAT APPEARS TO BE A STRETCH. THUS INSTABILITY LOOKS
LACKING AND MORE FOCUSED TOWARD THE SOUTH INTO PORTIONS OF SE SD
INTO NEBRASKA. ALSO LOW-MID LEVEL SHEAR IS ALSO WEAK...MORE
PRONOUNCED CLOSER TO STRONGER LEVEL 500 MB FLOW SOUTHEAST OF UPPER
LOW OVER ND. SO SHEAR AND INSTABILITY AREAS NOT IN PHASE.
FREEZING LEVEL ALSO HIGH WITH VALUES NR 14.5 KFT. THUS DID REMOVE
SVR WORDING FOR MN CWA. CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT ISOLD SVR
HAILER BUT ODDS ARE AGAINST ANYTHING WIDESPREAD.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...NONE.
MN...NONE.
&&

RIDDLE
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 25, 11:43 AM CST, 17 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1243 PM CDT THU AUG 25 2005

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-261200-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
1243 PM CDT THU AUG 25 2005

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A
SMALL PART OF SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ENOUGH INSTABILITY HAS BEEN GENERATED DUE TO INCREASED LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE TO GENERATE A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS JUST EAST OF A COLD
FRONT WHICH WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR GRAND FORKS TO WEST OF FARGO.
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WILL BE LIKELY
MAINLY SOUTH OF A RED LAKE TO CROOKSTON LINE AND EAST OF A CROOKSTON
TO FARGO TO LISBON LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

RIDDLE

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 hail, 6 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Norman

When
August 25, 12:00 PM CST to 12:05 PM CST
Where
Norman County, Hendrum
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.267, -96.817

Hail, Norman

When
August 25, 12:03 PM CST
Where
Norman County, 4 mi NE of Hendrum
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.300, -96.750

Hail, Norman

When
August 25, 12:10 PM CST
Where
Norman County, 5 mi NW of Ada
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.350, -96.600

Hail, Norman

When
August 25, 12:20 PM CST
Where
Norman County, 7 mi N of Ada
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.400, -96.517

Hail, Norman

When
August 25, 12:45 PM CST
Where
Norman County, 5 mi W of Gary
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.383, -96.367

Hail, Norman

When
August 25, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Norman County, 2 mi E of Hadler
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.367, -96.500

Flash Flood, Clay

When
August 25, 1:50 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Clay County, Moorhead
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.883, -96.750

Street flooding occurred near Concordia College and U.S. Highway 75.

Hail, Wilkin

When
August 25, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Wilkin County, 7 mi N of Brushvale
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.467, -96.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When
August 25, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Wilkin County, 3 mi SW of Rothsay
Measured
75 kt (86 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
46.450, -96.333

Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off at a rural farmstead. A steel grain bin was blown off its pad and was rolled about 100 yards into a grain field east-southeast of the farmstead.

Hail, Wilkin

When
August 25, 4:48 PM CST
Where
Wilkin County, 2 mi S of Rothsay
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.450, -96.283

Tornado, Wilkin

When
August 25, 4:49 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
Where
Wilkin County, 4 mi S of Rothsay
Rating
F1
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
46.433, -96.283

A torrnado briefly touched down and tracked eastward for about one-quarter of a mile across the north edge of a farmstead. Numerous trees were snapped off or uprooted. A 12x48 foot mobile home was flipped onto its top and destroyed. The mobile home had been resting on its transport wheels in an east-west orientation and was not anchored. It was flipped about 25 yards to the northeast and landed in a north-south orientation. Peak winds were estimated at 110 mph.

Hail, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 4:50 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 6 mi WNW of Elizabeth
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.417, -96.250

The hail occurred along the Wilkin/Otter Tail county line.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When
August 25, 4:50 PM CST
Where
Wilkin County, 3 mi S of Rothsay
Measured
78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.433, -96.283

Grain bins were tipped over and many large trees were blown down in Akron Township, section 13.

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 4:55 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 6 mi WNW of Elizabeth
Measured
78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.417, -96.250

A 10 inch diameter tree was blown down across a road and grain bins were heavily damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When
August 25, 4:55 PM CST
Where
Wilkin County, 1 mi NW of Rothsay
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.500, -96.300

The wind gust was measured by a MNDOT RWIS sensor.

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 1 mi NE of Carlisle
Measured
70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.383, -96.167

A semi trailer was blown over along Interstate 94.

Flash Flood, Wilkin

When
August 25, 5:00 PM CST to August 26, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Wilkin County, Rothsay
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.483, -96.283

Excessive rainfall and overland flooding damaged the Rothsay High School.

Hail, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 5:10 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 3 mi NE of Elizabeth
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
46.417, -96.083

The large hail significantly damaged a house and car.

Hail, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 5:14 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 11 mi SE of Erhard
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.367, -95.933

Tornado, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 5:15 PM CST to 5:17 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 6 mi ESE of Erhard
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
46.450, -96.000

A tornado touched down about 2 miles south-southwest of Edwards and tracked for about a mile to 2.5 miles south of Edwards. Numerous trees were snapped off along the damage path and in a shelterbelt near Sproul Lake. One home had roofing and lawn furnature damage. Peak winds were estimated at 100 mph.

Hail, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 8 mi ESE of Erhard
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
46.450, -95.950

A swath of large hail fell across northern Elizabeth and Friberg townships and affected the Long Lake and Edwards areas. Considerable roof and vehicle damage was reported in these areas due to the large hail. Three to four inches of rain fell.

Flash Flood, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 6:30 PM CST to 9:30 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, Battle Lake
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.283, -95.717

4 to 5 inches of rain fell, quickly flooding some roads in Battle Lake.

Flash Flood, Polk

When
August 25, 6:30 PM CST to 9:30 PM CST
Where
Polk County, 2 mi ENE of Rindal
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.517, -96.100

3 to 4 inches of rain fell across south-central Polk county, washing out a culvert east-northeast of Rindal.

Hail, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 6:45 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 2 mi SE of Vining
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.250, -95.500

The large hail stripped the leaves off corn. Five to six inches of rain also fell.

Hail, Grant

When
August 25, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Elbow Lake
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.000, -95.983

The hail fell on the north end of town.

Hail, Grant

When
August 25, 7:08 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Ashby
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.100, -95.817

Hail, Otter Tail

When
August 25, 7:20 PM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, 3 mi NE of Almora
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.283, -95.317

Flash Flood, Wilkin

When
August 25, 7:50 PM CST to August 26, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Wilkin County, Lawndale
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.567, -96.367

Numerous township roads were flooded over the northeast portion of Wilkin county.

Flash Flood, Wilkin

When
August 25, 7:50 PM CST to August 26, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Wilkin County, Kent
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.433, -96.683

Numerous township roads were under water from the heavy rain.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2005Warnings in Minnesota, August 2005

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5472281, 5472282, 5472283, 5472284, 5472285, 5472286, 5472287, 5472288, 5472402, 5472289, 5472403, 5472290, 5472291, 5472292, 5472293, 5472294, 5472295, 5472296, 5472297, 5472404, 5472298, 5472405, 5472406, 5472299, 5472300, 5472398, 5472399, 5472400, 5472401.